Rav 4.2 2.0 Petrol Mpg?

[korben556]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum, but I wonder if members could help me with a sanity check please?

I am on close to choosing a manual 2004/5 Rav 4.2, 2.0 petrol with around 60,000 miles. Now the rub is that I am driving around 25,000 miles a year! So I know the answer many will give is to buy a diesel - however, I am averse to diesels for all of the well documented reasons.

Now the book says that a 2.0 petrol can return 38ish mpg on extra urban, which is mostly where I sit on the motorway. However real world numbers are never the same, especially when the age of the vehicle etc is taken in to account.

So could anyone give me some real world numbers for those motorways trips please?

I really want to make this work, but if I cannot get say 35 mpg on motorway runs the numbers will not work.

Oh and I am not so enthusiastic in my driving so right foot is lightish these days, don't do much over 70 on motorways these days!

Thanks in advance

Korben

[mystic]

Your going to get closer to 28 - 32 on average i would say

[korben556]

Your going to get closer to 28 - 32 on average i would say

Had a horrible feeling that might be the answer! thing is my company only pay a poultry 18p a mile, so at let's say 30 mpg I am around 50p a gallon out of pocket at the current prices and given the diesel to unleaded differential.

Thanks for the reply though.

[BeechCustom]

Hey Korben. I recently purchased a 2.0VVt-i 4.2 5dr manual. I've only filled up once and I'm getting 25.1MPG. These were admittedly mostly short urban journeys but I think you shouldn't expect anything above 32MPG even if you are doing mostly motorway miles. It's a great car though in every other respect!

[korben556]

Interesting, have just done some more sums based on 28 mpg and it looks like given the number of annual business miles I do (24,000), the price differential between diesel and petrol, I would be out of pocket by around £600 a year, plus maybe another £200 for private.

So a diesel will cost me at least £2,000 extra, so maybe this still works?

I am of course ignoring the extra mpg I get from diesel......

Anything important I have missed?

Cheers

Korben

[The Striding Man]

Hi Korben,

I bought a 2.0vvti recently and I'm getting around 30mpg on my daily commute mostly along rural A roads. The trip computer is a bit ambitious and indicates an average of 37-38mpg.

I'm very happy with it though, and I'm pleasantly surprised at how much fun it is to drive. Still waiting on a significant snowfall to really test it.

[Hoovie_SR]

I had a 2005 RAV4.2 2.0VVTi and I was getting around 25 MPG driving around East Devon and on longer journeys (A303 to Hampshire or M5/M6 to Scotland) maybe hit the 30MPG - the economy was the thing that really prompted to me sell to be honest, and if you are doing 25,000 miles a year, I really don't think it is the right car for you. The permenant 4WD is I think what brings the MPG down.

BTW - a Paultry 18p a mile?? that is 4p a mile more then mine pay for a 2.0 Petrol.

PS - remember that the Inland Revenue (or whatever they are now called) allow you to claim the difference between what your company reimburse you and their own guideline amount (which is quite a bit more then 18p a mile) if you use your own vehicle for business use, and at 25k miles a year, that amount will almost certainly run into well over £1,000 of additional tax relief.

[korben556]

Hi Hoovie,

Yep, of course you are right 25,000 miles are really too many for petrol! Just hate diesel for so many reasons...

So back to the drawing board....

[Hoovie_SR]

Hi Hoovie,

Yep, of course you are right 25,000 miles are really too many for petrol! Just hate diesel for so many reasons...

So back to the drawing board....

It's a shame, because the car you are wanting is a really cracking motor and is great around the Devon countryside as well - it is just the fuel economy lets it down

[The Striding Man]

Probably a wise decision mate. I'm doing 6000 miles per year in mine over the winter months and can live with that. If I was doing your mileage, then a diesel it would have to be.

Good luck with your search.

[BeechCustom]

Probably a wise decision mate. I'm doing 6000 miles per year in mine over the winter months and can live with that. If I was doing your mileage, then a diesel it would have to be.

Good luck with your search.

Agreed. The lady I bought my Rav4 off said that she didn't notice the MPG but in retrospect that's cos she was doing less than 4,000 miles per year. I'm hoping to stay below 10,000 miles this year cos of fuel costs. Doing your mileage is really going to hit your wallet hard with these petrol versions :-(

[korben556]

It seems I may have to stick with boring saloons/hatchbacks or risk suffering the vagaries of diesels and the stupid DMF and other issues!

I hate having to be sensible on this one.....

It amazes me how someone can drive only 4,000 miles a year, would be cheaper to use taxis, Mind you my wife bought a 10 year old civic with only 30,000 miles on it.

[BeechCustom]

It seems I may have to stick with boring saloons/hatchbacks or risk suffering the vagaries of diesels and the stupid DMF and other issues!

I hate having to be sensible on this one.....

It amazes me how someone can drive only 4,000 miles a year, would be cheaper to use taxis, Mind you my wife bought a 10 year old civic with only 30,000 miles on it.

It was a second car that was used to go to a very short distance to work every other day. It's a 2000 model year and had 40,080 on the clock when I bought it in December :-)

[korben556]

Great result, with such low mileage!

[firemac]

Hi, I'm new to the forum, but I wonder if members could help me with a sanity check please? I am on close to choosing a manual 2004/5 Rav 4.2, 2.0 petrol with around 60,000 miles. Now the rub is that I am driving around 25,000 miles a year! So I know the answer many will give is to buy a diesel - however, I am averse to diesels for all of the well documented reasons. Now the book says that a 2.0 petrol can return 38ish mpg on extra urban, which is mostly where I sit on the motorway. However real world numbers are never the same, especially when the age of the vehicle etc is taken in to account. So could anyone give me some real world numbers for those motorways trips please? I really want to make this work, but if I cannot get say 35 mpg on motorway runs the numbers will not work. Oh and I am not so enthusiastic in my driving so right foot is lightish these days, don't do much over 70 on motorways these days! Thanks in advance Korben

Hi Anthony,

We run two auto VVTi's, one is 5-dr 02-reg that we've owned since new & currently has about 72K miles up. Averages about 25mpg (when I drive it !). The other is a 3-dr 54-reg that I bought in May, '11 with 27K miles & now has 39K up - it averages 30 -32 mpg. Most of the 02 car's running is local shops, school, etc. I use the 3-dr for business and it does about 25K p.a. mostly dual c/way, m-way and I must admit that I don't drive it with a particular eye on economy......

I'm sure that if they were manuals they would give better mpg but my better half prefers autos and as we both drive both cars at various times, then auto it is, Also, with the 3-dr, I had an eye on who in the family would take it over when I'm finished with it, so auto was sensible since our daughter also drives an auto at the moment & she may end up with the 3-dr downstream.

The running costs of both are very good & certainly they don't have all the diesel issues that you refer to. The only generic problem with the VVTi's is EMS sensors which they can go through at an alarming rate. With our 5-dr, it's been under waranty since we bought it so any sensors have been a no-cost issue for us. I have to say though that both are extremely comfortable & fun to drive although space utilisation isn't as good as newer stuff.

[korben556]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for your experiences, it is such a difficult decision to make.

I have to admit, I have been looking at some diesels as my wife say's I worry too much and perhaps she's right. Car's go wrong - FACT, no matter what I buy it will cost me money.

Thanks

[korben556]

OK, have done a complete u-turn!

I have just been offered a 2003 d4-d FSH with 73,000 miles and a 12 month Toyota warranty from a main dealer for £6,000. It feels like a really good deal to me, especially with the Toyota warranty.

This should tick the mpg box and I still get to drive a Rav!

I plan to go and see it early next week.

[Hoovie_SR]

OK, have done a complete u-turn!

I have just been offered a 2003 d4-d FSH with 73,000 miles and a 12 month Toyota warranty from a main dealer for £6,000. It feels like a really good deal to me, especially with the Toyota warranty.

This should tick the mpg box and I still get to drive a Rav!

I plan to go and see it early next week.

At that age and mileage I would think the DMF has been already replaced? Also, try and get them to do two years rather then one year - an d make sure it is the unlimited miles option, as you will need that one with your projected use - the difference is not THAT much so they may be up for it. Consider paying the difference yourself if not as it is worth having the 2 year policy as a precaution. The Toyota warranty includes full RAC (or AA now?) breakdown cover as well, so that is a handy extra.

[Davrav]

Don't forget to check if the DMF has been replaced Korben.

Also check that it is covered by the warranty if it has not. The mileage is 'in the zone'.............................

Yeah, what Hoovie said

[korben556]

Thanks guys, some good advice - will check re extension of warranty and DMF.

I find it so ridiculous that buying any manufacturers diesel is so risky!

The shame of it is, they have a same year petrol with only 46,000 miles on the clock and no risk apart from more thirst.

Cheers

[firemac]

Thanks guys, some good advice - will check re extension of warranty and DMF.

I find it so ridiculous that buying any manufacturers diesel is so risky!

The shame of it is, they have a same year petrol with only 46,000 miles on the clock and no risk apart from more thirst.

Cheers

Good advice from Hoovie. I only got one year TGB warranty with my 54-reg but then TGB phoned me up about 2 months later & offered me a second year at a discounted charge payable over 12 months @ 0%. So I've got two years TGB warranty plus Club Toyota on a 7-year old car (admittedly with only 27K on it when I bought it).

Even if the dealer won't throw in the second year gratis, it's worth trying to get it at your cost for the peace of mind.

Good luck,

Jim

[pmb]

The shame of it is, they have a same year petrol with only 46,000 miles on the clock and no risk apart from more thirst.

How much are they asking for that? My 2002 has 47k on it. I did a spreadsheet when I got it new and it was 27mpg consistently. I could get over 30 on a run , mind you had an Impreza 2 litre (non turbo) that only did 18mpg with the caravan on the back!

edit: Why has my avatar gone?

[atkiman]

hi

i have a 52 plate 3 door nrg vvti manual and up till sept 10 was running a14 and m6 5 days a week 92 miles a day . Best figures summer 34 mpg winter 31-32 mpg . this is running around 65mph fairly constantly. I run an iq in the week now and keep the rav for dodgy weather and weekends. I dont know what it'll take for me to change the rav, nobody so far has come up with a motor to touch it,and after 8 years or so and 128k miles I'm in no hurry to see her go.

hope you find a motor to suit

[korben556]

Some great advice, definitely will try for the 2nd year and as mentioned, may be worth paying for as long as DMF is included.

I notice that the warranty is 12 months of 20,000 miles, so I may only get 10/11 months value out of it.

However on the flip side, I would imagine my miles would certainly uncover an iffy DMF!

They want £6,000 for the 2003 petrol, perhaps a little rich, but with a Toyota warranty, maybe not so bad.

[korben556]

Does not look like DMF covered, dealer is checking as unsure.....

Covered parts

• Lighting equipment:
  Front and rear lamps, number plate illumination lamps, headlamps, headlamp aim, stop lamps, rear reflectors, rear fog lamps, hazard warning lamps and controls, direction indicator controls, fog lamp on and off indicator light.
  
• Brakes:
  Controls including ABS system if the warning light does not work in the correct sequence, the condition of the service brake and parking performance, corrosion of brake pipe (Frictional cover is not covered when the condition is related to wear and tear)
  
• Steering and suspension:
  Steering control, steering mechanism and system power steering, transmission shafts, wheel bearings, front and rear suspension and shock absorbers.
  
• General:
  Windscreen wipers and washers, vehicle structure, fuel injection and ECU replacement as a result of failure to meet MOT exhaust emission standards.
  
• Seats and seat belts:
  All seat belt mountings, their condition and operation, driver and passenger’s seat mountings and backrest security in an upright position.
  

Although nice to have, without DMF cover, I am too wary to buy a diesel at this mileage...still lusting after the petrol!